Magno, Connie Marie S. Worldli

Oroñia, Nhicko 12- FEB 2011

Villegas, BS IT 3

“The Alchemist”

by Paulo Coelho

PLOT

Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, has a dream about finding a treasure in the

pyramids of Egypt. A gypsy woman and an old man claiming to be a mysterious king advise him

to pursue it. "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation," the old man tells him. "And,

when you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

With the courage of an adventurer, Santiago sells his sheep and travels to Tangiers in

Africa. After a thief steals his money, Santiago takes a job with a crystal merchant who

unwittingly teaches Santiago important lessons for his long journey ahead. After working at the

crystal shop for a year, Santiago earns enough money to cover his losses and return home. But

then something unexpected happens. On a desert caravan, Santiago meets an intriguing

Englishman. The Englishman's passion for knowledge and his relentless quest to uncover the

secrets of alchemy inspire Santiago to pursue his own dream of finding the treasure. As the

Englishman searches for the two hundred year old alchemist who resides in the desert oasis,

Santiago falls in love with a young woman, Fatima. Exposed to the greatest and eternal

alchemy of all–love–Santiago thinks he has found the treasure. But the greatest test of all is yet

to come. With the help of the alchemist, Santiago completes the last leg of his journey–

dangerous and infused with discoveries of the most profound kind–to find that the treasure he

was looking for was waiting for him in the place where he least expected.

Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy loves the freedom of traveling and the simplicity

of his sheep. One day while resting in a church he has a recurring dream and he always wakes

up before it ends. The dream is interpreted as a treasure through a Gypsy woman which

embarks Santiago to journey to a new continent leaving behind everything he knows. During

Santiago’s journey, he falls in love. An Englishman, joins the company of an alchemist, learns

the wisdom of the world and ultimately discovers his treasure.

CHARACTER’S

Santiago - Protagonist & Antagonist. Born in a small town in Andalusia, Santiago attends the

seminary as a boy but longs to travel the world. He finally gets the courage to ask his father's

permission to become a shepherd so that he can travel the fields of Andalusia. One day, he

meets a mysterious man in the town of Tarifa, who sends him on a journey to the other side of

Africa. Santiago is a curious boy whose open mind makes him particularly suited to finding his

Personal Legend. He also values his freedom very highly, which is why he became a shepherd

and why he is reticent to get involved in things which threaten his freedom. In the end, he

realizes that playing it safe is often more threatening to his freedom than taking a risk. The

central character is Santiago. Yes I do believe that Santiago was credible, by him just being a

shepherd that shows that anyone can pursue their personnel legend.

Gypsy Woman - Significant in guiding Santiago towards Egypt, an old man claiming to be a

mysterious king advise Santiago to pursue his goal.

Englishman - Passion for knowledge and his relentless quest to uncover the secrets of

alchemy inspire Santiago to pursue his own dream of finding the treasure. Trying to become a

great alchemist and is traveling to Al-Fayoum to study with a famous alchemist who is rumored

to be over 200 years old and to have the ability to turn any metal into gold.

This was the man that the boy met on his trip to the pyramids. He was the one who

turned the boy onto the idea of the alchemist and the masterwork. Before this he had never

known of the alchemist and the great things that he could do in the world.

Alchemist - Provides wisdom and is the final contributor to Santiago's Journey. Very powerful

alchemist who lives at the Al-Fayoum oasis in Egypt. Initially, Santiago hears about him through

the Englishman, but eventually Santiago reveals himself to be the Alchemist's true disciple. The

Alchemist dresses in all black and uses a falcon to hunt for game. The Alchemist is also in

possession of the Elixir of Life and the Philosopher's Stone. This is the man that he met in the

desert and he helped the shepherd to lead the people from the danger that was imminent from

the war. He also allowed the boy to follow his legend and realize his dream.

Melchizedek - Provides insights and arouses Santiago's curiosity. A strange wise man who

claims he is a king from a far-off land, he decides to seek his treasure. Tells Santiago about the

Soul of the World and his Personal Legend for the first time. always appears to people who are

trying to live their Personal Legend, even if they don't know it. While he appears at first to be

dressed in common Arab dress, at one point he pulls aside his cloak to reveal a gold breastplate

encrusted with precious stones. He also gives Santiago the magical stones Urim and Thummim.

Fatima – A beautiful girl with whom, Santiago immediately fall in love.

Merchant's Daughter - Santiago's First Crush.

The Shopkeeper - Gives Santiago a job in Tangiers after he has been robbed.

THEME

Faith - In your own personal God or spiritual salvation. The goal of life is to live in harmony with

what is ordained for one, or one's Personal Legend; happiness depends upon this harmony.

Ostensibly, we all once knew, as children, what our Personal Legends were.

Dreams, symbols, signs, and adventure - Follow the reader like echoes of ancient wise

voices in "The Alchemist", a novel that combines an atmosphere of medieval mysticism with the

song of the desert. With this symbolic masterpiece Coelho states that we should not avoid our

destinies, and urges people to follow their dreams, because to find our "Personal Myth" and our

mission on Earth is the way to find "God", meaning happiness, fulfillment, and the ultimate

purpose of creation. Another major theme throughout The Alchemist is the feeling of

superstition, mystery, or a hidden magic of sorts. This classic theme has been rejuvenated into

a new meaning that the reader instantly takes to the heart and treasures deeply.

It is a dream that first leads Santiago to pursue his destiny. It is also a dream (although

someone else's dream) that sends him back. Santiago dreams of a child showing him a treasure at

the base of the Pyramids; when we first read of the dream, we are led to believe that Santiago has

had it before.

MORAL LESSON

The novel tells the tale of Santiago, a boy who has a dream and the courage to follow it.

To full fill his dream he came across many people’s which were actually a ‘signs’ or could be

called as ‘omens’. Paulo Coelho expresses his views by saying that, the person who denies

following his dream is the person who denies seeing the god. The novel is like a bible for a

human who constantly says that, “there is only one language which everybody speaks and

understands and it is called as a UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. A language which your heart

speaks to you, a language which nature shows you, a language which is spoken by God winds,

water, sun etc. And this is the language which always guides you towards your unknown

journey.

People often say that, we never get the things which we have desired. Life bounds us to

make a compromise between our dreams and real time world. We never do efforts to make the

things visible which we have dreamt about and are often devoid of the true smell of success.

The Alchemist is all about to know the true ability of an individual so that he could initialize the

first step towards his path and rest will be done by the combine efforts of Universe. Since it is

said here, “when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that

your wish comes true”.

I found The Alchemist to be a wonderful tale on pursuing one's dreams. Coelho shows

how easy it is to give up ever attaining one's dreams due to complacency - or not wanting to

move out of one's comfort zone. "People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams,

because they feel that they don't deserve them, or that they'll be unable to achieve them."

Another endearing quote from the book, "There is only one thing that makes a dream

impossible to achieve: the fear of failure." Yet Santiago does want to pursue his dream of

finding his treasure and yes, at times we see and feel his fear, but along his journey, he has

learned to listen to his heart and to trust what his heart teaches him.

"When a person really desires something all the universe conspires to help that person

to realize his dream." Santiago is constantly tested along the way, yet he continues to listen to

the murmurings of his heart, which are never wrong. Santiago learns about love along the way

and helps others to face their fears as well. Coelho states, "And that's where the power of love

comes in. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are."

Some may see this fable as contrite, or overworked or too new age for their tastes. I

disagree and loved the messages that this book imparted, interwoven in the tale of the desert,

The Alchemist, and Santiago. This book, I found, imparted to me numerous jewels of wisdom. I

was captured and absorbed into the tale and found myself relating to the fears, but I completely

understood the message of following one's dreams, listening to one's heart, trusting, loving and

learning to let go of fear. "Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul

of the World, and it will one day return there. Wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find

your treasure. Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say." The Alchemist imparts

these words of wisdom to Santiago when Santiago begins to doubt and question.

"Everyone on earth has treasure that awaits him," his heart said. "We, people's hearts,

seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go in search of

them. We speak of them only to children. Later we simply let life proceed, in its own direction,

toward its own fate. But, unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them - the path to

their destinies, and to happiness. Most people see the world as a threatening place, and,

because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place. So we, their hearts,

speak more and more softly. We never stop speaking out.

This tale is inspiring, imaginative, and captivating. Santiago grows throughout the story

and in the end, even though he was tested severely, he preserved and obtained his treasure by

following his dream. We only limit ourselves - only we place limitations on us, as the universe

conspires to aid us in all directions.

The Alchemist is about the wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens

we find in our lives & following our dreams.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is simply a beautiful and enchanting book. It can be read

easily and slowly and even dreamily. The main character, Santiago, is a young shepherd boy

who has a reoccurring dream that plays a part in the role of his destiny. After knowing what he

needs to do, Santiago ventures into his journey of investigation. Along the way, Santiago meets

all kinds of people and begins to not only see the greatness of the world, but also discovers the

greatness in himself as he searches for a hidden treasure located near the pyramids in Egypt. In

The Alchemist, the main character Santiago is symbolized as a spiritual hero, the same way we

see Jesus or other religious gods that we believe in as spiritual heroes.

The Alchemist to something like the Bible, you get many differences. The Bible is a

religious, non-fictional book based on true events that occurred during the past, while The

Alchemist is a fictional fable created for the enjoyment and amusement of readers. But as much

as it seems impossible for there to be a connection between the two books, they do, in fact,

both illustrate shifting cultural sands regardless of the story or character. "Treasure lies where

your heart belongs", shows the main concept of The Alchemist, which means that the real

discovery of the treasure was the journey itself, and the knowledge and findings acquired during

the journey.

The main point this story makes is that everyone has a special destiny, and yet not

everyone resolves to attain it because it takes a lot of devotion and dedication. This book deals

with romance, a trip across the desert, and a few cryptic characters that expand your

imagination about the mysteries that lie in the world. Most of the people I have spoken to, that

have read the book, really enjoyed it. For me, I would have to agree. The ideas, thoughts, plot,

and moral lesson of The Alchemist is truly a conception of something in its absolute perfection.

At the end I just wanted to say,” It’s all about to dream, realize and achieve “Life is

beautiful and worth to live only when you realize your aim and hit right on the target “.

Tone - Internal Strength.

Symbolism - Dreams is presented as “God’s language".

The two alchemy objects are physical representations of the Soul of the World, the

Master Work, which is the result of completely purifying metals. The Philosopher's Stone, being

completely pure and powerful as the Soul of the World, has the property of turning metals into

gold, the most advanced ("evolved") and purest of all metals. The Elixir of Life cures all illnesses

and gives immortality. These objects represent the purity in the world, and in people trying to

reach their Personal Legend.

STYLE AND TONE

The length of the story is not bad, about 115 pages. The complexity of certain sentences

and the choice of Coehlo's vocabulary are very philosophical and spiritual. If you can relate or

read the passages with an open mind then overall it is a pretty easy book to read.

Written in a straightforward style that allows its simple beauty to shine through. In this

way, The Alchemist participates in a long tradition of religious and morality stories, such as fairy

tales and children's stories, whose goal is to convey a practical life lesson.

The Alchemist is written in a fable format.

Analysis

PAULO COELHO'S enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world.

This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian

shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in

search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man

who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom points Santiago in the direction of his

quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles

along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of

the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an

eternal testament to the transformation power of our dreams and the importance of listening to

our hearts.

“My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer,” The boy tells the alchemist one night as

they looked up at the moonless sky. The alchemist replies “Tell your heart that the fear of

suffering is worse that the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in

search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a seconds’ encounter with God

and Eternity.” This is one of the many passages from The Alchemist, an inspiring tale about

realizing your dreams and fulfilling your destiny. Paulo Coelho paints the reader’s mind with

surreal settings, a fascinating storyline, and a simple style of writing chock full of meaningful

insights that will leave the reader feeling warm-hearted, inspired, and ready to shoot for the

stars.

The settings in this book are so vividly described that the reader can feel the lush, cool

grasses of the Andalusian fields; the soft glow and warmth emanating from the buildings of the

towns; as well as the burning sands, the hot wind, and the overbearing sun of the Sahara.

Instead, he allows the reader to become lost in the timeless and ancient allure of the desert,

filling the readers mind with mystery and awe, which sparks the imagination into filling in all the

details with the aura of Arabia. This theme of The Alchemist reaches every heart, and even if for

a little while, connects us closer to ourselves, to our own memories, and as the alchemist put it

to God and Eternity.

Another major theme throughout The Alchemist is the feeling of superstition, mystery, or

a hidden magic of sorts. This classic theme has been rejuvenated into a new meaning that the

reader instantly takes to the heart and treasures deeply. The Alchemist themes have inspired

millions to find their dreams, to follow the omens, and realize their own Personal Legends in a

way that few other books have. Too many, realizing your dreams and fulfilling your destiny may

seem like wishful thinking, but Paulo Coelho makes accomplishing these goals seem so simple

and so easy that all the reader has to do is try.

The message Coelho conveys, as well as his astounding settings, simple but meaningful

writing style, and illustrious storyline enchants and transforms the hearts and minds of its

readers. This is the message that The Alchemist portrays, and no recommendation is necessary

to know this is an excellent book. Only a handful of books do not pale in comparison to the

settings of The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist is a literary gem, and it is an instant

classic.

The Alchemist is a book that the reader won’t want to put down, and will leave the reader

feeling openhearted, complete, and awed. Coelho shows us how even a wandering shepherd

can do the impossible, after he has realized what he needs to, and encourages us to find our

own dreams, realize our goals in life, and learn. Realizing your destiny is easy if you remember

to listen to your heart and follow your dreams. A personal legend awaits you, and you have only

to shoot for the stars to get it.

"The Alchemist" is a novel that may appeal to everybody, because we can all identify

with Santiago: all of us have dreams, and are dying for somebody to tell us that they may come

true.

REFERENCE:

http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/53068.html

http://paulocoelhobooks.blogspot.com/2007/11/alchemist-themes-motifs-and-

symbols.html

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/865.The_Alchemist

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-alchemist-coelho/study-guide/major-themes/